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Media Studies

Media Studies refers to the broad range of interdisciplinary subjects focusing on media culture and production.

Our Services

What We Offer

Librarians are often cast as bibliographers—individuals who develop, build, and manage collections in their subject areas, create reading lists of various kinds for the disciplines and communities they support, and generally help users find what they're looking for. This is a significant part of my work as a subject and liaison librarian, and a role that is dear to my heart as someone who cares deeply for our collections. This is not all I do, however. I see my position as one that recognizes the centrality of creating, providing access to, and maintaining resources of all kinds to share with students and scholars while also being committed to offering services that ensure student learning and our university community's overall well-being. This is to say that, fundamentally, the work I do is oriented towards supporting scholars (students, faculty, and beyond) in their learning, research, and scholarship, and I enjoy adapting to and finding creative ways to meet the needs of my communities.

It's also important to note that while my role in the university ecosystem is very much a supportive one (at least in part; I am also a faculty member and scholar), my primary purpose—and the point of my work—is not to simply complete tasks for others; rather, I see my approach as one that is connective and ensures scholars and community members have access to the information, resources, and services they need to thrive during their time with the university and beyond.

There are a number of ways I fulfill this commitment, such as

  • Developing and maintaining inclusive, dynamic collections that respond to the research and learning needs of scholars
  • Creating and curating resources, including online guides such as this one, that facilitate awareness of and access to our collections, electronic resources, and services
  • Connecting faculty, instructors, and students with instructional services and resources that support them in their research, teaching, and learning goals and foster critical information literacies
  • Providing reference and research support through individual consultations with students and faculty and by designing online resources to help patrons navigate through the Libraries' information ecosystem and develop research skills

This means that, as a student, instructor, or scholar, you can

  • suggest titles for addition to our collections, including physical and electronic books, journals, media items (such as films and games), and databases
  • inquire about the creation of resources or tutorials to help support learning goals and research skills
  • ask for help finding the right materials or databases for your research and scholarship, or assistance in navigating our many resources and collections
  • request instructional support, including how to incorporate information literacy and research skills into your assignments and courses or developing mini-guides tailored to the need of a particular class
  • reach out any time you're unsure what kind of support you need or if you're struggling in your research or coursework. We can always get you where you need to go!

To learn more about each of these services, please visit the links provided for more information. Be sure, as well, to take a look at the Resources & Services for Scholars section of this guide for more possibilities and guidance for your research and scholarship.

My hope is that this will help you understand what I can offer you in my supportive role as a subject and liaison librarian to your discipline. For more context about my work as a librarian, you can take a look at the Arts & Humanities department page, of which I am a member, and read more about IU Libraries and our mission, vision, strategic goals, and core values. You can also learn more about me and my research, scholarship, and service commitments on my Libraries profile page

General Libraries Services

There are a number of resources and services we offer at IU Libraries, beyond the specific ways I can work with you as liaison to your discipline. Please see below for some helpful links that will connect you with key library services:

  • General Inquiries and Reference Help when you have more general questions or need a more immediate response to reference or research inquiries, our Reference staff are available to assist you via email, chat, and phone
  • Research Consultations for more in-depth, one-on-one research assistance, you can schedule a consultation to help with brainstorming research topics, using library resources, and evaluating sources and information. This service is most appropriate for undergraduate and graduate students across disciplines
  • Course Reserves this page guides you through the process of placing print and media items on reserve so that your students have easy and ready access to course materials. There is also information about alternatives to physical course reserves, such as open educational resources (OERs)
  • Resource Access Issues if you're having any trouble with connecting to our electronic resources, this page offers tips for troubleshooting and fixing these issues as well as a form that you can use to let us know so our Electronic Resource Access Team can investigate 
  • Space Reservations need to reserve a space in any of our library locations, including individual and group study rooms? Use this interface to find and select a space that is most appropriate to your needs

Accessibility Statement & Resources

Our Approach

We are committed to proactively ensuring accessibility for our library guides and other resources. We continually apply and update accessibility standards to improve the experience for all users. Some of the steps we have taken to make our guides accessible include:

  • Marking headers and using page descriptions to provide legibility for screen readers 
  • Including descriptive alt text for images
  • Adding screen reader labels or icons to signal that links will open in a new window
  • Running our guides through accessibility checkers and making adjustments in alignment with accessibility guidelines
  • Performing annual accessibility audits based on our own internal style guide and best practices
  • Providing resources in a variety of formats where possible to support broad engagement

We always appreciate feedback on the resources we create. If you come across aspects of this or other guides that aren't accessible, or if you have suggestions for improvement, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We will do our best to make adjustments as needed and based on feedback from our users.


Campus Resources & Services

Indiana University’s Assistive Technologies and Accessibility Centers (ATAC) offer a diverse range of services, resources, and support including alternative media formats for textbooks, assistive technology hardware and software support, consulting for course accessibility, and training on accessibility best practices. If you need assistance with library resources, assistive technology options, or have any questions about access, please email your subject librarian. You can also reach out to them if you need accessible copies of e-books; just be sure to include the title of your book, assistive technology (if known), and format (.pdf, .epub) in your message. 

In addition to assistive technologies, the IU Libraries is committed to making resources both at the libraries and on the internet available to disabled patrons. The Herman B Wells Library offers collections retrieval services and hosts accessible scanners and computer workstations, along with other library services.

For more information about campus-wide accessibility policies and measures, explore the Accessibility @ IU website and the directory of accessibility resources at IU through the UITS Knowledge Base. Accessible Educational Services (AES), formally known as the Office of Disability Services, is dedicated to ensuring that students with disabilities have the tools, support services, and resources that allow equal access at IU. Reach out to them at iubdss@indiana.edu for more information.

Contributors' Notes

Over the years, a number of student library assistants have contributed to our work and shaped this guide by offering care, creating content, and working closely with patrons. We acknowledge their contributions here.

  • Brett Hoffman (they/them) - Arts & Humanities Library Assistant, 2019-'21
  • Wendy Lee Spaček (she/her) - Arts & Humanities Library Assistant, 2019-'21
  • McLain Chadsey (he/him) - Arts & Humanities Library Assistant, 2021-'22
  • Jo Otremba (they/them) - Arts & Humanities Library Assistant, 2022-2023
  • Erin Lee Walden (she/her) - Arts & Humanities Library Assistant, 2022-present
  • Sarah Vitelli (she/her) - Arts & Humanities Library Assistant, 2023-present